2024 NFL Draft: From Caleb Williams’ gorgeous long-term girlfriend to Bo Nix’s cheerleader wife… the stunning WAGs preparing to join the league
We’re still hours away from the NFL Draft and it’s a big day for both the prospects and the people around them – including the wives and girlfriends.
The design ensures players achieve lifelong dreams after decades of training, games, road trips and extra training. This week marks a huge step for hopeful NFL players as they wait for their names to be called – signaling the end of one journey and the beginning of another.
For families and friends, emotions will be just as high as their loved ones join the nation’s biggest league. However, some conscripts are fortunate to receive additional support from their significant others.
When the red carpet opens and the clock starts running in Detroit, it will also herald a new era for these women entering the world of NFL WAGs.
Here, Dailymail.com highlights some of the wives and girlfriends of the 2024 NFL Draft.
1. Caleb Williams and Valery Orellana
Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams has been dating Valery Orellana since 2020
Orellana is studying communications and business administration at UNC Chapel Hill
Projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of USC has been dating Valery Orellana since 2020.
With a photo of them going to prom as partners, the quarterback made their relationship “Instagram official.” Although the post has since been deleted, the couple continues to be a presence in each other’s lives, as seen on their Instagram stories, with Valery continually supporting Caleb throughout his Heisman-winning college career.
Williams, who is expected to join the Chicago Bears, already hinted that the power couple will appear in “unique outfits” tonight.
Orellana will graduate from UNC Chapel Hill in 2025 and is pursuing a BA in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communications, as well as a degree in Business Administration.
2. JJ McCarthy and Katya Kuropas
JJ McCarthy from Michigan and his girlfriend Katya Kuropas have been dating for more than five years
Shortly after Michigan won the national title in January, McCarthy and Kuropas became engaged
After winning a national championship with Michigan, JJ McCarthy is expected to be among the top five in Detroit, with ESPN projecting him to finish fifth in Minnesota.
Next to him sits his high school sweetheart, Katya Kuropas, with whom he has been dating for more than five years. Kuropas and McCarthy both attended Nazareth Academy in Hillsdale, Illinois, before the former joined her partner and headed to Ann Arbor for college.
Kuropas was a regular at Wolverines games throughout McCarthy’s career. In January, their relationship took a step further when McCarthy got down on one knee and the pair got engaged.
3. Bo Nix and Izzy Smoke Nix
Bo Nix’s wife, Izzy Smoke Nix, was a cheerleader at Auburn, where he played for three years
Bo’s move to Oregon did not hinder the relationship, as the couple married in July 2022
From a couple who are getting married soon, to another who tied the knot long before the trip.
In a class full of quarterback talent, Oregon’s Bo Nix joins the mix with his wife, Izzy Smoke Nix.
The pair met during Bo’s three-year stint at Auburn before heading to the Pacific Northwest to join the Ducks. Bo and Izzy, a cheerleader for the Tigers football team, started dating during her now husband’s sophomore year and exchanged vows on July 2, 2022.
While Izzy remained in Alabama after Bo chose to take his talents elsewhere, the happily married couple can now root for the same team: the one that calls Nix’s name.
4. Blake Corum and Makiah Shipp
Blake Corum’s girlfriend, Makiah Shipp, previously appeared in ‘Black Girl Speak’
Shipp, pictured with her boyfriend, is studying at Michigan for a degree in public policy analysis
Blake Corum, another member of the national championship Michigan Wolverines, is winning both on and off the football field.
While the running back continues to impress as an athlete, his girlfriend, Makiah Shipp, is also a real asset.
Shipp completed a research internship at the UM School of Education in 2019, which paved the way for her scholarship at Michigan. Shipp’s efforts led to her being featured in “Black Girl Speak,” as she works to amplify marginalized voices.
She is on track to complete a degree in public policy analysis this year, which will make Shipp her family’s first graduate.
Despite being active in their respective fields, Shipp and Corum tend to keep their relationship largely under wraps, with only rare glimpses of each other on their respective social media.
5. Brock Bowers and Cameron Rose Newell
Brock Bowers’ girlfriend, Cameron Rose Newell, is an active member of Greek life in Tennessee
Bowers and Newell started dating in 2021 despite attending different football-crazy schools
From prom dates to the NFL Draft, former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is joined by perhaps his biggest supporter: his girlfriend, Cameron Rose Newell.
The former Bulldog began dating a student at the University of Tennessee in May 2021.
Newell, a native of Napa, California, is an active member of UT Greek life as the assistant director of recruitment activities for the Kappa Delta sorority. In addition to her involvement with the sisterhood, she also worked as an administrative assistant for their family business, Newell’s Property Management.
ESPN expects Bowers to be the 10th overall pick tonight, joining Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets.